We are into August, and it’s certainly not the typical August like we are used to. The air has been thick with smoke for weeks with so many fires around us. We dodged a bullet last week with a small fire in Blue Lake Springs that was put out quickly by our excellent fire department, and a larger fire at Hunter Dam Road in Avery by the CCWD Treatment Plant, also stopped quickly by fire personnel.

Fortunately, the CCWD Treatment Plant was not damaged by that fire, but if it was put out of commission for a time, we have enough water in our wells to supply Blue Lake Springs on our own for the rest of the year and into next without a problem. Our water storage tanks have available 1.3 million gallons of water at all times for emergency use.

With the threat of wild land fire becoming greater every year, BLSMWC has addressed this problem with our Infrastructure Improvement Project. We are adding larger water mains in the street and 84 new fire hydrants. This project is scheduled to begin in September, and shareholders will be notified as to when it will affect them.

July Usage

Water usage was down very slightly in July from last year, which shows sensible water use. I thank all who are conserving.

July

2013 7,992,000 Gallons

2014 5,878,000

2015 4,343,000

2016 6,109,000

2017 6,296,000

2018 6,183,000

We have saved 23% water usage compared to 2013 which is the State drought comparison year. Please remember to shut off the water to your cabin whenever you leave, even if it’s only a few days. This will protect you from any damage from broken pipes or leaks inside your cabin.